Scrapbooking and photographing sweet treats and good eats in and around Toronto, bite by bite

Even Better Than a Donut – The Rainbow Bright Sprinkler Cupcake from Short & Sweet Cupcakes!

“Donuts, is there anything they can’t do?” asks Homer at the end of Marge vs. the Monorail. I love this Simpsons episode to pieces (who doesn’t?!) and although I enjoy donuts and have quite a few favourites and weaknesses, I have to counter that question and respond with a “yes”. Because a donut can’t be a cupcake and it certainly can’t be the Sprinkler from Short & Sweet Cupcakes! You all know that Short & Sweet is my holy grail for cupcakes in Toronto and you all know I have made many a visit since my first one in the spring. However, there are still cupcakes that I haven’t actually seen in person and this is because their cupcake selection operates on a routine rotating basis. Wait, routine and rotating in the same sentence? How does that make sense? Let me explain.

Short & Sweet has a slightly different selection of cupcakes every day during the week and they go ALL OUT on the weekends, nearly doubling their selection compared to, say, Tuesday. What you see on Tuesday is what you will see EVERY Tuesday. And what you see on Thursday, for example, is what you can expect to see the next Thursday. Followng me so far? There are certain cupcakes that are available every day and certain ones that only make their appearance once a week or during the weekend.

Depending on which day(s) you frequent the shop then, there could be cupcakes that you’d miss completely and this has certainly been the case for me. I’m accumstomed to visiting the shop during the week, most of time in the middle of the week on Tuesday or Wednesday (they’re closed on Mondays). This is why, on this particular Thursday back in July, I finally saw the Sprinkler up close and in person and there was no way I was going to leave the shop without this pretty little thing. A cupcake that looks exactly like a rainbow sprinkled, technicolour donut?! YES PLEASE.

Everyone feels differently about sprinkles though. My dad, for instance, hates sprinkles with a passion because he has bad teeth. He’s had issues with his teeth for years now and because of their current condition, things like sprinkles get stuck between them and I think they’re even susceptible to cracking given how crunchy sprinkles are! Some find them messy and others are kind of indifferent about them. I, on the other hand, LOVE sprinkles and I always have. Tubular ones, tiny round balls, crystal sprinkles, cute shapes, I adore them all and I think that they add so much character and fun to desserts. I get rainbow sprinkles and chocolate sprinkles on my ice cream and soft serve, I adore sprinkles in my shortbread cookies, and I get giddy at the thought of dunking a frosted cupcake into a bowl of sprinkles and having the sprinkles stick all nice and pretty to it.

If you love sprinkles and you’re a fan of sprinkled donuts, this was made for you. This is like a sprinkled donut only, in my opinion, 10x better! The vanilla cupcake is soft, moist, and sweet and the frosting with the sprinkles is just out of this world. You know how sprinkled donuts have that layer of sweet frosted glaze that helps the sprinkles stay on? Imagine that sweetness but in the form of a thick, super creamy, lickably good frosting. The kind of frosting that makes you want to dip your finger in it and go to town. The Sprinkler is like a donut, birthday cake, and whipped frosting straight from the mixing bowl all wrapped in one. I made an absolute mess of myself with the frosting drooping down my cupcake and some of the sprinkles bouncing away after the first bite, but it was so worth it. It’s fun, colourful, and so perfect for the kid in all of us.

I know I haven’t posted pictures of the new shop since Short & Sweet moved and I’m sorry for that! I have new photos, but I just need to formulate a cohesive post dedicated specifically to the new location. The photos I have of the Sprinkler (and its coordinating scrapbook layout which, by the way, was a blast to make) are the last batch from the days of their old shop, so I am ready and raring to go with new location material! I’m really excited because this Saturday on the 10th, Short & Sweet will be holding their grand re-opening party to celebrate their successful move to their new location 3 blocks north. From 1pm-4pm, they’ll be holding a cupcake party with drinks, giveaways, and of course, plenty of their amazing cupcakes! You can bet I’ll be there 😉

*****

Short & Sweet Cupcakes is now located at 1945 Avenue Rd., south of Wilson Ave. If you take public transit like me, the easiest way to get here is to get off at Wilson subway station and take the 96 bus to Avenue Rd. and walk south. You can also get here by getting off at York Mills subway station and taking the 165 Weston Rd. North bus to Wilson Ave. and Avenue Rd. and walking south, or getting off Yorks Mills subway station and walking west to Avenue Rd. from Yonge.